I'm not going reference Lucic specifically in this post because I don't need certain poster(s) chomping at the bit to respond..........however I respectfully disagree that players of that mold are dinosaurs in today's game. Prior to Wilson signing that idiotic contract for the amount of production he has been worth, most people would have loved him on this team. I see many posters wanting Anderson out of Columbus. Like many others on here I'm sure, I've played the game and I completely understand the worth of players who fit this mold. If you haven't already watched it, I recommend watching ice guardians. There's multiple players on that documentary, superstars, who actually come out and say they wouldn't have been the player they are today had it not been for the Proberts, McSorleys, Domi's etc.
Is fighting a very small part of the game compared to the 70's, 80's, 90's and even early 2000's........absolutely. Do teams dress guys like Mitch Fritz who could barely skate and all he was good for was 2-3 shifts........no. But to compare true power forwards to the likes of the past "enforcer roles" is absurd. There will always be a place in the game for the guys like Wilson, Lucic, Anderson, Reeves, Simmonds, etc.
the game changes as rules change... as coaching changes... but people dont change
there will always be some guys that play less hard when they become intimidated
when gordie howe played he was a big strong tough guy. he was also 6 feet and under 200 pounds
when terry oreilly played people called him the best fighter in nhl... he was 6 feet and around 200 pounds
enforcer/tough guys were not always 6'5 and 240 pounds... but there was always guys that played a big strong game that intimidated opposition and created advantage for your side
teams that couldnt stand up for themselves always got hurt on the scoreboard
even montreal had to standup to philadelphia. even the oilers had to stand up
the fastest most skilled teams in history had to stand up
the number of players as tough as lucic who can also play 15 mins... can be counted on 2 hands...
im not saying a team should dress 15 guys like this and expect success. clearly that day has come and gone
but anyone saying guys like tom wilson dont still make a difference, clearly werent paying attention last year
the number of forwards out there who are as tough as david backes and can play as well as david backes... dont number much
as the league continues to get smaller and smaller... guys like gordie howe and mark messier will once again become dominant
